I have a 500GB Mac mini and 387GB of the internal HD is filled up with the APFS Data Volume. I don't know what's in there and I don't know how to see the contents to purge it of unnecessary files. Very little of my user data is on the internal drive. All my user files are on an external SSD, so what's in the Data Volume that's filling it up so fast? I'm running macOS 12.6.3.
Mac mini, macOS 12.6
Hello William M.,
Thank you for reaching out in Apple Support Communities. If you haven't tried yet, we recommend to use Disk Utility on your Mac to gather more details of the storage. Here's how:
Get detailed information about a disk in Disk Utility on Mac
When you select a storage device, container, or volume in the Disk Utility sidebar, information about it is displayed on the right. Click the Info buttonin the toolbar to get even more details about the selected item.
The information provided about an item depends on the type of item selected. The information can include:
* Location of the disk or volume (internal or external)
* Format being used
* Total capacity
* Amount of space available, which can include both free space and “purgeable space”—or space that macOS can free up when needed by removing files from your computer (you can’t manually remove the files that are designated purgeable, but macOS removes them as space is required)
* Where the volume is mounted
* Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology (S.M.A.R.T.) status, which is the disk’s general working condition
This can help you to gather more details of what might possibly be using the storage space on your Mac: Get detailed information about a disk in Disk Utility on Mac - Apple Support
If that doesn't help, we recommend to contact Apple Support. They can review this further. You can contact them by using this link here: Apple - Get Support
Kind regards.
If you are booting from this drive, then the "Data" volume should be hidden as it is made to look like it is part of "Macintosh HD". The "Data" volume is where your macOS home user folder(s) are located and where most users store all their data. If you are syncing an iPhone/iPad, then that could have a lot of data hidden within the hidden Library folder within your home user folder.
If you are seeing a second "Data" volume mounted at "/Volumes/Data", then it indicates that someone reinstalled macOS incorrectly at some point so it is possible you have two copies of your data taking up space.
About the read-only system volume in macOS Catalina or later - Apple Support
William M. wrote:
All my user files are on an external SSD
You will have to explain how you did that. It sure doesn't sound like that was properly setup. There is a lot of incorrect advice posted on the internet.
Why is APFS Data Volume so huge?
